Protecting Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles

Protecting Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles

The Environmental Technical Working Group
is one of the vehicles through which New York is developing best management practices to limit the effects of potential stressors on marine mammals and sea turtles, especially on highly vulnerable and endangered species such as the North Atlantic right whale. Some of the practices New York is considering include:

Man-made Sounds

Perform construction during times of year when migratory marine mammals and sea turtles are less abundant

Check areas where construction will take place for marine mammals and sea turtles before and during construction activities

Limit daily duration of pile driving

Start pile drivers slowly at low energies to allow sound to build, giving animals a chance to move away from the sound

Use equipment and technologies designed to reduce the amount of sound at the source

Ships

Perform seasonal construction and maintenance activities during times when marine mammals and sea turtles are less abundant

Follow National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration guidance to avoid ship collision with whales

Reduce speeds to less than 10 knots and set approach limits

Stay in designated shipping traffic lanes and using as few ships as possible

Long-term Structures

Consider the distribution and behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles when siting structures

Prioritize endangered, threatened, and otherwise vulnerable species when siting

Offshore Wind

NYSERDA is leading the coordination of offshore wind opportunities in New York State and is supporting the development of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035 in a responsible and cost-effective manner. Offshore wind will be a crucial step on the pathway to a carbon-neutral economy as Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed in his Green New Deal, a nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda. Offshore wind will support the Governor’s call for 70 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030.